Heritance Kandalama

Carpeted in vegetation and hugging the side of a jungle hill, Heritance Kandalama, when viewed from afar, resembles an ancient temple grown wild with disuse. In fact, the vegetation and location have nothing to do with neglect (note the handwoven tapestries and stunning floor-to-ceiling windows in each room) and everything to do with ensuring that rainwater flowing from the hills collects in the hotel's reservoir below. Such environmentally conscious touches made Kandalama a shoo-in for LEED certification. They also make the area a favorite for a multitude of monkeys (including toque macaques and purple-faced langurs) and 170 species of birds.